The Intelligence Control and Analysis Program

Chapter 7

Rossi nodded in agreement. "I think that's probably in the kid's best interests right now."

Hotch glanced up from his paperwork, knowing he must have looked more tired than he felt. "Rossi, we need to do something about this caseload. Do you know anything at all about the section chief replacing Strauss?"

Rossi shook his head. "Nope. But she's coming in tomorrow, so we're about to find out."

Hotch didn't have anything to say to that, so he simply bowed his head and got back to work, praying the newcomer would have both the wisdom and the guts to go to bat for them.

If she doesn't... we're going to burn out very, very soon.

***

JJ smiled as Genius darted back and fourth between the bedroom displays, little giggles escaping him as he rushed gleefully through the Bed, Bath, and Beyond without apparent rhyme or reason.

Emily stopped the cart at the first display bed, as it seemed Genius intended to stay in that section for a while, and leaned over. "Has it occurred to you this might not have been the best idea?"

"Yeah. I got that, Emily. I got that. Thanks." JJ smiled, cheerful despite her sarcastic words, and jogged ahead.

"There's so many colors!" Genius ground to a halt in front of a red, orange, and yellow bedspread. "I thought they only made colorful beds for kids. This is so cool; it looks like spray paint!"

JJ laughed and glanced at the price tag. "Is this what you w—"

"Look at that one! There are so many flowers! Ooh, plaid. There's a lot of plaid. Ooh!" Genius reached back and frantically grabbed JJ's hand. "Ooh..." He pulled her along, weaving in between the beds until he came to a red, white, and blue bed set on display.

Genius looked at JJ with wide, sparkling eyes. "Ooh."

JJ smiled, briefly thinking it was excessively patriotic, but the sponged, watercolor texture took some of that away. Not that it mattered. She would enthusiastically encourage whatever Genius chose as long as it was what he truly wanted. "Is this your favorite?"

Genius nodded and pressed his hands into the mattress, a wide smile on his face. "And can we—can we get orange sheets, too? Blue, red, and orange? Can that be my room? My theme? For my room, I mean? My room theme? Can it? Please?"

JJ nodded, unable to keep the smile from her face. "Of course, Genius. That sounds like a good color scheme." It was a fairly uncommon one, and she wasn't sure how it would look all put together, but she didn't care. "It's unique. You could start a trend. Are you going to want extra blankets?"

Genius gaped at her. "Is that allowed?"

JJ laughed and grabbed a packaged bedspread from the foot of the display bed. Then she turned the tables on Genius and took him by the hand, pulling him back to the center aisle.

"Hey," Emily commented when JJ put the blanket in the cart. "You found something you like."

Genius smiled and opened his mouth to speak, but JJ pulled him away before he could, taking him just a few more steps until they stood in front of a large wall of microfiber blankets.

"He's going to pick out some extra blankets," JJ explained over her shoulder.

Emily pushed the cart a little closer and then joined them, softly rubbing a selection of dark purple fabric. "Do soft things help to relieve your anxiety, Genius?"

Genius shifted where he stood. "I... I don't know." He reached out and ran his fingers over an orange one. "I know I really like soft things. Do you... I mean, have you heard it helps?"